Stream the new Lightning Bolt album, Fantasy Empire

By: Jeff Terich

Two weeks from today, Lightning Bolt will release Fantasy Empire, their first full-length album since 2009′s Earthly Delights, via Thrill Jockey. Early indications seem to point toward the most accessible album in the band’s discography, which isn’t necessarily saying that much, given just how much noise and chaos exists within the band’s high-intensity noise rock outbursts. But then again, past albums like Ride the Skies and Wonderful Rainbow offer a lot to live up to in terms of being an achievement in noise rock. In any case, new Lightning Bolt is good news no matter what form it takes, and this week, we’ve all been given the gift of being able to preview the album before it hits shelves, as NPR First Listen is hosting a stream of the full album ahead of its release.